Biloxi Blues is a 1988 American military comedy drama film directed by Mike Nichols, written by Neil Simon, and starring Matthew Broderick and Christopher Walken.
During World War II, Jewish teenager Eugene Jerome of Brooklyn is drafted into the United States Army and sent to basic training at Keesler Field in Biloxi, Mississippi.[3] He sets himself three goals: lose his virginity, survive the war, and become a writer. Jerome keeps a journal to record his impressions of his fellow draftees. The new privates are trained by Sergeant Toomey, a wounded veteran with a steel plate in his head. Toomey imposes arbitrary rules and metes out harsh punishments.
A recruit named Epstein refuses to accept Toomey's authority, failing to be broken by Toomey's increasingly harsh punishments and earning the admiration of the other recruits and eventually Toomey's respect. Jerome makes a contest of each man sharing how he'd spend his final days if he had only a week to live. When Epstein says he would make Toomey do 200 push-ups in front of them, Jerome chooses him as the winner. Wykowski makes Anti-Semitic remarks, which leads to a confrontation between him and Epstein. Toomey ends it, but Jerome feels bad for not defending Epstein. When the soldiers prepare for a two-day leave, Wykowski reports his money has been stolen. Toomey demands the thief step forward and Epstein places money on Wykowski's footlocker. Toomey then reveals he took Wykowski's money to teach a lesson about securing valuables. Epstein is confined to the barracks for his false confession, and admits he did it feeling he would be punished by Toomey anyway.
Jerome accomplishes his first goal while on leave when he loses his virginity to a prostitute, but the rest of the platoon returns to barracks before him and discover his journal. Jerome realizes the journal is missing when he returns, and finds the others have been reading from it. Epstein discovers that Jerome believes Epstein is gay.
Toomey enters the barracks in the middle of the night and reports that two soldiers were caught having sex in the latrine, but one escaped. When no one admits to being the escapee, Toomey suspends privileges and weekend leave. The platoon suspects Epstein, giving Jerome a lesson in the power of the written word. The next morning, Hennesey is revealed as the man who escaped, and Jerome realizes he was the only person to stand up for him and Epstein.
Directed by Mike Nichols
Written by Neil Simon
Based on Biloxi Blues 1985 play by Neil Simon
Produced by Ray Stark
Starring
Matthew Broderick
Christopher Walke
Spoken languages: English
Subtitles: Danish,Swedish,Norwegian,Finnish
